SPARK ⭕ Seeds are holdable smiles!
July 31, 2024
"Not sure what possessed me to snap these (likely the sense that my mom’s hard fought cancer had returned for its last (4th) and final time at age 91. In any event - my moms birthday is (was?) May 10th. She died on April 24th. She held into her seed - and still does. Maybe this is too dark for a Spark - but it isn’t for me. I am extremely glad for your Seeds Of Happiness. And you, Mark!"
- Heather
SPARK ⭕ Seeds are a great way to welcome family!
July 30, 2024
"I have just been given one of your seeds from my son and daughter in law. And I am thrilled. It is the first time I have really met my daughter in law, I met her briefly over six years ago before she married my son. This is the first time I have spent a joyous time with her.
I think you know her as she lives near you in St. Louis Mo. She told me the story of your genuine success.
They came to visit me today and I am overjoyed, more so when she handed me one of your seeds. Sarah and Steve are here for a few days in England. They flew thousands of miles and have driven through the worst weather in England for over twenty years to come and visit me.
The seed that she gave me was, for me, the representation and embodiment of the soul and spirit of love that I now hold dearest to my heart. And always will."
Best regards,
Steve (Dad)
SPARK ⭕ We reap the harvest of the Seeds we plant
July 29, 2024
"I received my little green seed today as a thoughtful, definitely heartfelt gift from an angel friend of mine. Her note read, "Just a little something to make you smile" Absolutely perfect timing and absolutely adorable! I cannot believe these "lumps of joy" missed joining my happy family before this :-O These are the immediate members of my happy family.
My life in the past few months (let me first catch my breath)..my sister, my only sibling died in April. My husband, who has been ill for quite some time, will now receive hospice care. My auntie is recovering from a mini-stroke, my little doggie (he's 15) requires special care. And bittersweet, my younger son (he lives with me now) is planning to purchase his first home. And, lest I forget, I retired on August 1 from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (thankfully my work "daughters" - yes, they are more than just co-workers- keep in touch). All that being said, thank you to my special angel friend, Melanie, for sending me a Seed of Happiness, a seed of definite hope! Also, I would like to share that my son (the one "on the move") is very involved with the St. Baldrick's Foundation (I noticed your special St. Baldrick's Seed of Happiness). This has been of great importance to to him to be a part of this great organization for the past eight years. As a firefighter, one of his "brother" firefighters died just after celebrating his twenty-third birthday. He had battled osteosarcoma for several years and had been treated at Children's Hospital (where I was employed). I am certainly happy, no ecstatic that a new seed has been planted! I just ordered a bag of ten seeds and sent them as a gift to one of my "daughters" from work. So yes, the story will go on… "Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature. - Steve Maraboli AND "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant” - Robert Louis Stevenson
Mark, your amazing talents have touched so many hearts and brought smiles to those in need!!! :0)
My sincere thanks again to Melanie and to all of you!
I will help spread the Seeds of Happiness!"
Michele
SPARK ⭕ Student mental health is top of mind. Seeds can help!
July 26, 2024
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"I am a middle school teacher that keeps your smiles on hand… as I have students that I am struggling with mental health or had a tragedy in their life they are struggling with I give them a little "smile" for days they have trouble finding their own.... Thank you for such a valuable product that can be used in so many different means." Julie Anne |
SPARK ⭕ Seeds take away the loneliness and spread happiness Inbox
July 25, 2024
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"As a Police Chaplin I have found that being a law enforcement officer is a lonely job. For most of their shift they are in a car by themselves with a police radio as their only communication. With that said, I have begun giving out Seeds of Happiness to any and all law enforcement personnel I come across. Whether they are at a restaurant or sitting in their police car the smile on their face is priceless when I have a bag full of seeds and I’m able to show my appreciation to them as I let them pick out a color send of their choice. My words of encouragement and their appreciation for their “seed” is a blessing to them as well as me. Some have been so taken by the kindness shown to them that they ask for another seed for a spouse or friend, what a way to spread happiness. So buy seeds of happiness, put them in a bag, carry them in your car and make someone’s day! Give a person a reason to smile today…. One seed at a time!!!" |
SPARK ⭕ A surprise at a place setting lifts heavy hearts
July 24, 2024
"My 48 year old brother-in-law died very unexpectedly. He left behind 3 children ages 12-21. After his inurnment service we were all invited to my mom's for dinner. We walked into her house. The table was beautifully set with fine china and crystal. At each place setting was a "Seed of Happiness" it changed the whole trajectory of the remainder of the evening. They truly brought smiles to our heavy hearts. I decided right then and there, I needed to find out how to have these available for purchase in our church gift store."
- Michelle
SPARK ⭕ A Hoppy Reminder of a Loved One
July 23, 2024
"My mom was in hospice in Sept. of 2021. She was there 20 days. Toward the end, I had her outside of her hospice house, and while we sat there for a few hours, I noticed a little green frog sat on the chair next to us. It didn't move. I had to touch it to make sure it was alive. It was. Just as we were getting ready to go in for the day, it hopped away. A few days later she died. I went back out to see if the frog was there. It wasn't. I had seen the Seeds of Happiness, and much to my surprise, they had a little green frog. I immediately bought it and put it on my fireplace mantle. It reminds me of her every day! And I smile."
- Kim
SPARK ⭕ Sharing Seeds Can Be Addictive
July 22, 2024
These seeds have by far been the best things I have ever discovered. For the children, for teachers, for breast cancer awareness and for just making people smile. I can’t even tell you how many I have purchased as I know it’s been multiple years of buying them and sharing with others. They have brought such joy to people in my house and all around my kids. The sentimental value is huge as well. I think since Xmas 2021 alone I’ve given out 100. Thank you for making the world smile.
- Barbara
SPARK ⭕ Blessings in the form of smiles
July 19, 2024
We have continued his mission to bring joy to others by continuing to hand out smileologist cards around his angel day and birthday with a gift- from Starbucks coffee to the people behind us in line, to paying for people's meals, leaving huge tips to servers, and bringing cookies to the firestation.
A friend of mine, Shelly, saw your large Angel Smiley guy and sent this to me as a reminder of the smiles and joy he has continued to bring to others. I have purchased Christmas ornaments and the small smiley guys to pass out as beautiful reminders of the joy he continues to spread.
I plan to continue to bless others with the products from Seeds of Happiness as they have been a blessing to us in remembering our smileologist.
SPARK ⭕ Smiles can make a heart drop
July 18, 2024
At the place I work, working in the parking booth is one of the more tedious positions to have. You spend the entire day outside, saying mostly the same thing over and over again. Each interaction takes about ten seconds but somehow people still find a way to not listen to you. It wears on you. And unlike every other position here you don’t get many opportunities to make human connections. When I do I jump at the chance.
It’s been sunny lately, which means everyone is wearing sunglasses which means the ticket machine is hard for people to see. The solution is to tell people “I recommend taking your sunglasses off.” I guarantee you I have heard every variation of comment that can be made after this recommendation: “That helps.” “Polarized lenses.” “Wow, I couldn’t see anything!” I’ve seriously thought about keeping a tally. I know it sounds like I’m a complete stick in the mud, but imagine being a pilot and every passenger tells you to not let your arms get tired while flying the plane. Everyone is looking for a laugh and you have to give them at least a chuckle, every comment, 8 hours a day. The first day is fine, if a bit annoying. The second day you’re starting to wish someone would come up with a better joke. The third you can no longer pretend to be amused. It is honestly personal connection moments that keep me from losing my head.
The one this story is for started out like any other. “I recommend taking your sunglasses off.” A jokey comment. The woman says to me “I imagine it must get frustrating saying that all the time.” I pull off my own sunglasses and say, “you have no idea.” “Oh yes I do,” she says. Really?, I think, you also work in the service industry? “Because,” she says, “I’ve become one of the people you have to say that to!” Im not recounting the dialogue exactly as it occurred - it’s been maybe 40 minutes since this happened and I’ve been interrupted several times. But this was truly funny for me. Truly fun. I could count the moments I’ve genuinely laughed with a visitor on one hand, and I’ve worked here for nearly three years. And I’ve never had a laugh in parking.
Then she said, “you know what, I’m gonna give you this.” I will admit my heart dropped a little there. Because I was expecting a religious leaflet or something. We get those a lot. One of my last genuinely fun conversations ended with a religious leaflet, and I was very disappointed about that. I’m already a Christian, you are producing trash. I throw those away without reading them. But I take it anyway, and tell the woman, “I’ll take this but you can’t hand them out inside.” She said, “I wasn’t planning to, and it’s not religious.” Oh! Color me surprised!
She drives into the lot, leaving me with a teeny business card thing and a sandwich bag with an orange rock in it. Okay, let’s see what this is. The card had this web address on it, but I was more drawn to the orange rock. The clay seed. I turn it around, grinning from ear to ear before exclaiming aloud, “It’s a little man!!” I’m a sucker for little mans: Plushes, tiny action figures, carvings, even bugs. Little mans, all of them, and I can’t get enough.
I will go home today probably tired, probably a little frustrated. I’ll have to figure out dinner, which is its own task. Change clothes, give my dog her medicine, take my own, and resist the urge to play solitaire until I fall asleep. But now I have this little man. And I intend to show him to everyone.
SPARK ⭕ A green smile full of wonder and dreams
July 17, 2024
A former colleague of mine gave me a Seed of Happiness upon her departure from our company. She and I had been friendly and it was a very kind gesture made by someone passing through my life. For years, the little green Seed sat on my desk. A trinket, along with others, whose message I loved, but I admittedly didn't have a connection to until now.
Months back I lost my grandmother... not just my grandmother, but my first and deepest best friend. For those months it's been hard to grab onto happiness and in my desire to declutter my desk I came across this Seed.
This beautiful green Seed of Happiness.
The color of grass that forever grows.
The color of clovers of so many people find luck in.
The color of a whole city built of wonder and dreams where even Dorothy knew she could find her way back home through.
My grandmother's favorite color.
A color that brought her a simple, yet great happiness.
Now after all these years, this little Seed and its smile has finally brought me the happiness I can't seem to find lately, even if just for a moment.
A beautiful little green Seed reminding me of my beautiful grandmother.
Courtney
SPARK ⭕ A seed helped heal from loss
July 16, 2024
Back in 2020 my mom passed away. I did not even get to say goodbye to her due to Covid restrictions. Broke my heart to know she died alone. One of our social workers gave me a special seed to help me heal from my loss. To this day I have my seed on my desk with its little smile to remind me that my mom is watching over me a sending me a smile from heaven.
- Becky